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Startup founder. I hold a B.S in Computer Science and have extensive experience and interest in technology, e-commerce, cryptocurrencies and online advertising industry (ad-tech). I worked with leading companies like Softbit, MediaFem, OLX Group, and Telecom. I am living in London, UK.

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What is Project Zero?: The new Amazon’s initiative

Amazon’s new initiative, Project Zero, has been created to eliminate all counterfeit products once and for all on its website.

The program, called Project Zero, combines technological tools and cooperation with brands to eliminate counterfeit goods from Amazon’s website.

The company said it is testing that tool with “invited” brands before launching it on a larger scale

“Our goal is that consumers always receive authentic products when they shop at Amazon” the company said in a statement.

“Project Zero is based on our long-term work and investments in this area. It allows brands to work with us to take advantage of our joint forces in order to act quickly and on a large scale to bring fakes to zero” the company said.

For Amazon, this initiative implies increasing the use of its own machine learning technology to find imitations among the products offered on its platform.

The companies that participate in the program will also use codes to authenticate their articles during the manufacturing process and will be able to remove the counterfeit products themselves. So far, companies had to ask Amazon to remove them from the platform.

First, Amazon will use Automated Protection

Brands provide Amazon with photos of their logos, brands, and other data, and artificial intelligence tracks the more than 5 billion items Amazon has on sale from thousands of third-party stores, locating fake products.

According to the company itself, artificial intelligence detects a hundred times more fakes than with the traditional complaints of brands or customers.

Another measure of Amazon Project Zero is called a self-service tool to eliminate counterfeits

The brands themselves, without having to make the complaint to Amazon, will be able to eliminate the fake products from the store, using a tool.

Finally, Amazon has released what it calls Product Serialization. Items that adopt this system (the manufacturer has to pay for it) will carry a unique manufacturing number. Each article that Amazon sells will check if the serial number exists, and if it does not, it will instantly detect the fasifications.

They ask that they reconsider New York as headquarters

Nearly a hundred unions, traders, community groups and politicians in New York asked in an open letter addressed to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, that the company reconsider the decision not to settle in this city.

In the letter, which according to the New York Times will be published in Friday’s edition, the signatories assure that New Yorkers do not want to resign themselves to losing 25 thousand jobs or the US $ 28 million in tax revenues that the project would bring to the state.

The letter, also signed by religious leaders, also assures that most New Yorkers support the Amazon project and that they do not agree with their decision not to continue with the proposal to establish a headquarters in Long Island City, in the district of Queens.

They claim to be aware that the public debate that was generated after the announcement to come to this city was “hard” and that Amazon’s intention was not welcome.

“The opinions in New York are strong and sometimes strident. We consider that part of the charm of New York! But, when we commit ourselves to a project as important as this one, we try to find a solution that works for everyone” they say.

Last November, the US Internet sales giant reported that it would establish two new offices, one in New York, which would create 25,000 jobs.

But, after the rejection of the community, activists and politicians, including the new congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, on February 14 Amazon announced that it was abandoning the idea.

Many accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio of negotiating with their backs to the community. Criticism of the project was for the 500 million tax incentives and the potential impact on public services.

What they assured to Bezos

They also assure Bezos in the letter that Cuomo will be responsible for the project being endorsed by the state parliament and that Mayor Bill de Blasio will work together with the governor to attend the development process in the community.

Since Amazon announced it would not continue with the project, Cuomo has held talks with company executives in an attempt to convince them to change their minds.

Among those signing the letter is the 32BJ union (which represents cleaning workers, porters and building managers), the president and CEO of Mastercard, Ajay Banga, the executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation, Seth. Bernstein, Congressmen Hakeem Jeffries and Max Rose, or the president of the State Public University (SUNY), Kristina Johnson.